missybear

Have you considered joining a team sport? I started playing touch football and volleyball which I find I'm committed to a night a week during the season. I get rather frustrated if I'm out of town for work and have to miss a game. I also found adding exercise in to my weekend as something to do with friends. We hit the beach or go on long walks (usually shopping!). I also took up scuba diving which encourages me to seek more adventure holidays where I can dive or snorkel. My gym also has yoga classes, which are my escape from work and destress while toning and stretching, they have been great as the muscle definition starts to return as I've lost weight . I usually have two classes scheduled in my diary so my staff and team know I have somewhere to be. Overall, start small and build up to a more intensive program, I hope you start to enjoy it and want to keep it incorporated into you new lifestyle.

While in hospital the nurses told me I was best sipping from a cup, but I'd asked the surgeon during my first fill and he was happy if I used a straw. I found I enjoy sipping from a cup for most drinks now, it gives my mouth the taste of what I'm drinking for a little longer than drinking via a straw.

Every day for me is different in terms of calories and meals, but the most common thing I've found is my meals get bigger throughout the day.

Best of luck. Stay calm, ask the doctor any questions you want answered and give honest feedback when you go to take a drink post fill

See your doctor to check for the cause. I wish you all the best, through this episode as well as trying to conceive with no 2. If it is a cyst, I've had one rupture and it was the worse two days pain in my life ( the band surgery felt closer to going in just for a teeth clean). If labour is anything along that line of pain, I think I'll stay childless!

I love seafood and have persisted with prawns/shrimps despite a few bad episodes. I've found i need to have a longer break between bites compared to some other foods. Calamari/squid has also been a challenge on some days. Fish i find is an easy go to options for all eating out occasions, touch wood never had an issue to date.

Your background sounded very familiar, I'm 32 tomorrow and started seeing the surgeon for a lap band at a BMI of 32. Fortunately in Australia, they will look at patients with BMIs at 30, particularly if you've shown efforts to lose weight and if there is another medical condition to be concerned with. My surgeon mentioned my lower BMI start point and healthy lifestyle (in terms if food choices and exercise) would help me to achieve my goal. The issue I had was portion control, I was always hungry and rarely satisfied with what I was eating. Fortunately the band has finally helped me feel satisfied with a small normal portion of good. I wish you all the best in your decision and good luck in what ever you choose

I recall having this feeling I was saying good bye to certain foods pre op, like a steak or burger, but in reality I can still enjoy them, I just tend to hide the fact I'll only touch a tiny part compared to finishing the whole thing. I found turning off the economical aspect of eating, like thinking something is good value to get the next size, and not feeling guilty to walking away from a half eaten meal. I think one of the worse things I grew up on was being forced to finish everything on my plate, especially in order to have a treat, when quite happily the treat may have satisfied me as a whole meal. I also had to get comfortable and realizing I could still eat out with friends and colleagues, especially those who I don't want to divulge the fact I have a band. I'm now just referred to as the slow and healthy eater, sticking to seafood and Entrees most the time. I also thought about the people I was surrounded by whose eating habits I admired, like the girl who ate small kid sized portions and I wondered why she wasn't looking for more food an hour later, or the athletic guys who snacked on vegies throughout the day to not waste their efforts from their time at the gym. Both of these helped me move to the mindset of what I could enjoy and be proud of, rather than just focusing on the initial things I thought I couldn't eat or do.

Hope you take her negative comments and attitude and turn it around as a motivation to get to your goal weight, plus make the lifestyle changes to make keeping it off, well before her and prove her wrong. The band again is just a tool and success lies with you, perhaps your just a more successful person

I fly for work all the time, can't say I've had any more episodes of feeling extra restricted in the air or on the ground. Although I must admit its quite satisfying to be able to turn away food or not finish what I'm served, which is a nice change to pre surgery when I always felt extra hungry on planes

Breakfast options I tend to enjoy Inc teacup of fruit and yoghurt, I sprinkle some seeds, LSA or muesli for some fibre Smoked salmon and few vegetables, or in a half mountain bread wrap with cream or cottage cheese and chives I also make up mini frittatas in muffin tins, I've had them across all meal times. Protein bars can be handy on the run, often I'm satisfied with half then eat the remainder as an afternoon snack

My doctor said 4 weeks as well before going back to lifting weights or anything involving significant twisting through the abdominal area like Pilates or yoga. Swimming was out as well due to my incisions still being pretty fresh. I was quite content with just walking. I found it was great to just go for a walk to help shift the gas pains and to take my mind off eating as the hunger started to return post op

One hand roll is usually suffice, sushi train I can around 3 plates of 2 pieces per plate, provided I have a decent break in between

I think a lot of it also comes down to the ongoing diet. High protein and vegetable based diet seems to keep my digestive system fairly busy.

If something is extra chewy or more dense, take a longer break between mouthfuls. Don't feel pressured to keep up the same pace as others while your eating.

I think part of my daily exercise is staying on the move to avoid where I've unfortunately let one rip

I recall prior to surgery I was thinking I'd never eat steak or bread again, be able to eat out with others or enjoy a normal meal. Mentally I think I was pretty determined to try everything post surgery and even sometimes when I've had a bad experience with certain foods (boiled eggs and cooked mushrooms were my nemesis for a while) I've persisted and enjoy most foods. The benefit I've got with the band is not feeling the compelling desire to eat everything on my plate, or graze at food constantly. I'm much more satisfied and happy turning down offers for food, upsizes and walking away from a half eaten plate of food. I feel like this is what most normal people can do with food and the band helps keep that as a reminder.

Wearing a bikini was up there on the goal list!

I recall putting ice with my Protein shakes or in a glass if Water to have something to bite. I also popped outside for a quick walk, sometimes it was more boredom than hunger I was feeling.

Being a yo yo weight since I was a teenager, I found the key thing I need to tell my mindset is taking time to look after myself. Each time i put the weight back on, ive found ive been so busy ive put other people or demands ahead if my own. when i think of the need to put me and my health as a priority, i think of the need to prepare more of my meals myself, getting my exercise in, buying the more expensive dinner or ingredients and taking a moment out to relax is when I've been at my healthiest. I have a very stressful job, that leads to lots of travel, hotel food and late nights, but realised I have to be a tad selfish and put my needs first. Surprisingly being more balanced in work, exercise and nutrition helps me focus at work, with the level of respect from colleagues also improving when I have other pursuits.

Trying to eat in a hurry is a no go now. I think this motto plays out in my head "If you don't have time to chew, be prepared to spew"

Did you eat much yoghurt before your band? Just wondering if its your body or whole digestive system rejecting the yoghurt?

Hand me downs have been great. Funnily I've scored some items back they I'd previously grown out of. Borrowing items for special occasions works as well. Other thing I found was investing in some new basics, stretchy black skirts and pants were a staple, plus a jacket. I found I could wear these bits and pieces to work and out casually. Wrap dresses are also great for weight loss, they tie so you can get fair wear out of them over a few different dress sizes. I also found skirts and dresses more forgiving than pants as your losing weight. I've not spent much on jeans, simple Levi's have been suffice. Oh and new bras, that was the first thing to replace. I've bought two staple black and beige bras, that are strapless and convertible.

My surgeon recommended the mid point of the healthy weight range BMI which is around 22. I was also pleased to hear the same target from my trainer. I've hit my mini goal to get into the healthy weight range and now 6 kilos off hitting my target weight.

I chose the band as a form of reinforcement to keep the weight off. I've lost nearly 30 kilos on diet and exercise before to only but it back on twice. I was disappointed that despite healthy eating, I was never satisfied with a normal portion of food. Whilst I never looked into the sleeve or bypass, I had originally considered the balloon, an inflatable temporary item suspended in my stomach for 6-12 months. Through discussion with the surgeon he dismissed it as a long term effective tool, and I was likely to end up yo yoing back in a few years time.